My Favourite Casserole (+ update!)

Here's a recipe for my favourite casserole, which I made tonight for supper!

Sour Cream Noodle Bake
(originally found on The Pioneer Woman Cooks website)

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 large can tomato sauce
4 cups whole wheat rotini pasta (or pasta of your choice)
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese
1 green onion, chopped
salt and pepper

Saute ground beef with onion, add tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer.

Meanwhile, boil pasta. Drain. Mix with cottage cheese, sour cream, green onion and salt and pepper.

Layer pasta with meat sauce, topping with shredded cheese.

Bake at 350* for 25 minutes.

Deeeeeelicious!

In other news, Reid is absolutely awesome! He's crawling, pulling himself up to stand on absolutely everything, eating everything under the sun, but still can't sit up on his own yet! He doesn't have any teeth yet, either...still flashes that gummy grin at everyone!

Reid and I are flying to Killarney on April 3 and staying for 2 weeks! Sort of one last hurrah before my mat leave ends and I'm back to work. I'm looking forward to seeing my family, and for them to see Reid in all his glory!

My mat leave is over at the end of May, so I'm back to work at my daycare on May 21. I'm totally nervous about going back and being apart from Reid all day. But in reality it won't be all that bad! Reid will be in the baby room, and I'll be in the toddler room, so I'll really only be 50 feet away from him all day. Which is a lot better than across town. Still, I will miss my little baldie. I am praying for peace about this decision, which really isn't a decision at all, because we can't afford for me not to work. So I am praying for peace about this new reality that will begin in May. Praying for peace that my baby will be OK with strangers. Praying for reassurance that the crying won't last forever and he will be happy and love his new little friends and his teachers. Praying that I will love my job and my little toddlers and that I will survive each day. Praying for courage as our lives will change, become more hectic, and our time with Reid in the evenings will be brief. This last year of mat leave was like living in a bubble and I can't remember what life was like before Little Mister came along. It'll be a hard adjustment, but one that can't be avoided.

Since January, I've been trying consistently to watch what I eat, exercise more and loose weight. My motivation for this is to be a healthier mom to Reid and to have healthier future pregnancies without the complications I had last time. I started off on Weight Watchers in January and have just recently switched to the free online website My Fitness Pal. So far I've lost about 8 pounds, which is a healthy, steady loss, but of course I am impatient and wish it was faster! Maybe I shouldn't have eaten those M&Ms today......!

Well, that's about it!
Happy Easter!

What's for Supper? Spaghetti "Carbonara"

Tonight I made a recipe that we used to eat in Ireland all the time, and hadn't tasted for almost 4 years! It was easy and just as tasty as I remember.

Spaghetti Carbonara

1/2 package bacon
3 eggs
3 T sour cream/plain yogurt
salt and pepper
3 T parmesan cheese
whole wheat spaghetti, cooked

Make it like this:

Boil spaghetti in salted water. Drain.

Meanwhile, chop bacon into small pieces and fry.

Whisk eggs, salt and pepper, sour cream/yogurt and 2 T of parmesan cheese together.

Add cooked spaghetti to bacon, toss with egg mixture and cook over low heat until eggs set.

Top with leftover parmesan cheese.

Yum!

**I had to add a bit of salt to mine, but I tend to like things salty.

The Naked Burrito

Tonight I made a naked burrito for supper - I have no idea why it's naked! Maybe because it's meatless? Anyway, it's an easy and yummy weeknight supper.

The Naked Burrito

1 T oil
1 diced onion
1-2 chopped peppers
1 t minced garlic
3 or 4 chopped mushrooms
1 can kernel corn
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup salsa
3/4 jar chili sauce (or as needed)

Saute all veggies and beans in the oil, add rice once cooked. Stir in salsa and chili sauce, just enough for the veggies and rice to stick together.

Serve in a wrap with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.

Split Pea Soup

Yesterday I made Split Pea Soup and it was absolutely divine. Here's how.

Split Pea Soup

2 T oil
1 diced onion
2 t minced garlic
1 package split green peas, rinsed
2 carrots, chopped
8 cups chicken stock
1 ham hock (I did not have a hock, but I had some ham in the freezer, so I just chopped some and added it)

Make it like this:
Saute onion and garlic in the oil, about 5 minutes.

Add chicken stock, carrots, ham and peas. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, simmer for about 2 hours. Peas should be soft and "mushy" then. Add salt and pepper to taste. If using a ham hock, remove now!

If it's too thick, add some hot water (or more stock).

It's that easy and oh so delicious.

Reid and his trick or treat bag from Auntie Amy.

Making Applesauce!

Today I made applesauce for the first time! I had a ton of fresh apples from when my friend Rachel and I went apple picking a few weeks ago. The apples sat in my fridge for a few weeks until I felt courageous enough to tackle them. My goal was to make apple sauce to freeze for when Reid starts eating solids and today, I was victorious!

Reid played in his "office" while I peeled apples!

I bought this sweet peeler for $20. Reminds me of pie making day at Granny and Boppa's.

Peeled and sliced apples soaking in salted water.

Apples in the pot, ready to be cooked down.

Cooking down...getting broken up from the heat.

Reid and I while the apples cooked!

Finished!

Baby food cubes ready for the freezer.

What's for supper? Honey Chicken Enchilada's with Mexican Rice!

Here's what I made for supper tonight - it was delicious and easy!

Honey Chicken Enchilada's

Mix together and let marinate:

1 lb chicken, shredded (I bought a rotisserie chicken and chopped that up)

1/4 c. lime juice

1/3 c. honey

1 T chili powder

1 t. garlic powder

2 c. enchilada sauce (I could not find this at SuperStore, so I went to the "ethnic" aisle and found some red Mexican-y sauce. I took a gamble and it turned out OK! I think buying taco sauce from the salsa aisle would also be acceptable.)

1/2 c. heavy cream (I had whipping cream at home and used that)

shredded cheese

8-10 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350*.

Spread half the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Roll each tortilla with the meat mixture and a handful of cheese and place in pan. Mix together the rest of the enchilada sauce with the heavy cream, pour over the tortillas. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350*.

I served them with:

Mexican Rice

1 c. white rice

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/2 t. cumin

chopped onion, green pepper and tomatoes (as much as you desire!)

salt and pepper

1 t. garlic

Heat some oil in a pot, add rice, stir for a few minutes. Add the chicken broth, cumin and garlic. Season with S&P. Add the onion, green pep and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 20 minutes. 

This was really flavourful and easy. A great side dish to the enchiladas!  

Here's a picture of my baby. 

Homemade Granola Bars

When my mom was here back in June when Reid was born (8 weeks ago - wowsers!), she made several batches of these homemade granola bars. The reason she had to make several batches is because we ate those suckers like they were going out of style. They are SO GOOD. And super easy to make. Here's how!

Homemade Granola Bars

1 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. peanut butter (I like to use crunchy, because then you get those extra bits of peanut, great for texture!)
1/2 c. light corn syrup (I had no idea "light" corn syrup existed...I just used regular)
1/2 c. margarine
2 t. vanilla
3 c. oatmeal

And the optional ingredients to mix it up for variety:
1/2 c. coconut
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. raisins
1/3 c. wheat germ
2 T. sesame seeds
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. Craisins
1/2 c. apricots, chopped

I hucked all of these ingredients into my trusty KitchenAid mixer and let 'er rip. Once it was mixed thoroughly, I pressed it into my 9x13 Pampered Chef pan.

Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes. I did mine for 23 minutes and I don't think that was enough as it was still a bit gooey. But I cut it into squares anyway and chucked it in the fridge and that firmed everything right on up.

These are really delicious and like I said, easy!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Tonight I made Cajun Chicken Pasta, a recipe I found a while ago from www.skinnytaste.com. I have been meaning to make this for a while, but never got around to it. Thanks to some high blood pressure, I am now on sick leave and find myself with a lot of unoccupied hours in my day. Perfect timing to make some new and delicious suppers! I was actually skeptical about this recipe while I was making it...I just wasn't sure if the flavour would be there or not. However, both Josh and I really enjoyed it and I will be making this again! Most of the recipes from this website have proven amazing, so I should know better than to doubt.

Here's the recipe:

Cajun Chicken Pasta

1-2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips/cubes
1-2 t. cajun seasoning
1 t. garlic powder
salt to taste
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
2-3 medium tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1/3 c. skim milk
1 T flour/cornstarch
3 T light cream cheese
8 oz. linguine

Make it like this:

Prep all veggies: peppers, onions, tomatoes.

Combine milk, flour/cornstarch, and cream cheese in a blender. I used my handy Starfrit hand crank food processor. Set aside.

Season chicken with cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.

Boil pasta in salted water.

Saute chicken, remove from pan when done, set aside.

Add some olive oil to pan, saute veggies, add garlic. Season with some salt and garlic powder.

Reduce heat, add chicken broth and the milk/flour/cream cheese mixture. Stir.

Add chicken, adjust salt and cajun seasoning to taste.

Drain pasta, add to veggies and chicken. Toss to coat. Top with chopped green onions if you so desire.

**This makes a nice creamy sauce without being too overwhelming or heavy. The garlic and salt are a must to bring out the flavour, and the cajun spice on the chicken is really good. I probably could have added more cajun to the veggie mixture too, to give some added kick. I also used whole wheat pasta to be healthy. I find the taste isn't too bad, although you do have to get used to it. That's why a flavourful sauce is key to hide that slight cardboard taste of the pasta!! 

Lemon Roasted Potatoes

I made these potatoes tonight for supper and they were a hit! Really easy and very tasty.

Lemon Roasted Potatoes

1. Peel (or not) red potatoes (I did 4 for Josh and I) and cut into wedges.

2. Toss with olive oil.

3. Mix together:
                         1/4 c. lemon juice (real or fake - I used fake)
                         1/4 c. water (I did less because I didn't have many potatoes and didn't want a watered    
                                              down sauce)
                         1 chicken bouillon cube
                         1-2 t. dried oregano
                         1 t. garlic powder/minced garlic (whatever you have)

4. Pour mixture over potatoes and stir well to coat evenly.

5. Bake at 425* for 1 hour. Mine only took 30 minutes, but I only had 4 potatoes. So use some common sense and they should turn out all right. I baked mine uncovered because I like crispy potatoes, but you can cover them if you want.
 

The most important part of a stir fry is....

The sauce, of course! A stir fry is nothing without a delicious sauce, and lots of it.

Here's the sauce I've been using lately and loving:

Sweet & Sour Stir Fry Sauce (tastes best with chicken!)

1/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. corn starch
1/4 c. vinegar
2-3 T soy sauce
1/4 c. pineapple juice

What is your favourite sauce to make or use when it's stir fry night? And let's face it...stir fry night comes around pretty often because it's quick, cheap and easy. And usually tastes delicious.

Apple picking

Last Sunday we went apple picking in Windsor with some of our bible study friends. We had a delightful picnic lunch and then we started our apple picking. We had a beautiful day for it and had a great time together! The apples were not so impressive (apparently it was not a good year for apples), but we had a good time as a group in the sunshine. 

Friends and our picnic lunch!

A random man was taking pictures of us, so we asked him to take a picture with our cameras too!

Apple picking success! Peter, Josh and Matt.

On Wednesday I had a bit of extra time (a rarity these days) and I made an apple crisp (from the Epicure website) to serve at bible study on Thursday night. It was a total hit and well worth the cramped hand from peeling apples (a chore that I really detest).

Mexican Lasagna

I made this when Josh and I had friends over for Sunday lunch last weekend. It was a big hit and I was quite pleased with how it turned out. Because it requires quite a bit of prep, it probably doesn't make my weeknight supper meal rotation, but it would be great to take to a potluck or when you're cooking for a crowd. 

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

(I tweaked the amounts a bit on this recipe to fit my 9x13 Pampered Chef stoneware pan...whoever made this recipe originally must have had a giant pan to fit all of this in!)

2 cups unprepared rice

  2-3 cups chicken broth/stock

4 large tomaotes, diced

1 onion, diced

2-3 T minced garlic

butter

taco seasoning (or chili powder, paprika & cumin) to taste

1 can black beans

1-2 lbs ground beef

1 jar Salsa Verde ("green" salsa - I found it in with the other salsas in the grocery store)

flour tortillas (I used 6 in total)

2-3 cups shredded cheese

1 jar/can Enchilada sauce

2 cans corn, drained

Sour cream for garnish

Make it like this:

1. Start by preparing your rice with the chicken stock/broth. 

2. Chop up tomatoes, onion and garlic. Saute in butter. Add 1 -2 T of taco seasoning (or as much as you prefer). Stir.

3. Add black beans. No need to drain. 

4. Add cooked rice.

5. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef. Add more taco seasoning to taste. Add about 1/4 c. of water to make the taco beef.

6. In your 9x13: spread jar of salsa verde on bottom of dish. Layer flour tortillas on top. Overlapping is expected. 

7. Divide rice/tomato/bean mixture in half. Spread one half of rice mixture over tortillas. Spread half of cheese over rice. 

8. Layer more tortillas over the cheese. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas and spread it evenly. 

9. Add layer of ground beef. Add corn (drained) on top of beef. Then add remaining rice on top of the corn. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle the top with some taco seasoning or chili powder. 

10. Bake at 375* for 25-35 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Wedges that are super good...make them tonight!

I love sweet potatoes! I probably make them once a week. Sometimes twice. I peel them, cube them, toss them in some spices and bake them. I have experimented with spices and other ingredients, but I think I've finally found the combo that I love the most. Read on!

Sweet Potato Wedges
Serves 2.

1. Peel and cube one large sweet potato.

2. Toss with olive oil.

3. Sprinkle with chili powder.

4. Add some brown sugar. I usually add about 1 tablespoon, or more.

5. Stir together so sweet potato is evenly coated. Spread on baking sheet.
6. Bake at 450* for 20 minutes. I don't like a really soft sweet potato, so 20 minutes does it for me. If that is still too firm for you, bake longer.

The brown sugar really caramelizes the sweet potato beautifully - makes a nice crunch and tastes great!

Enjoy!